Spain's king gets 2nd hip operation after fall

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Madrid—Spain's king left a Madrid hospital Friday after undergoing a second operation to fix a hip he broke two weeks ago during a much-criticized elephant hunting trip to Africa.

The royal palace said the 74-year-old King Juan Carlos was taken to San Jose Hospital late Thursday due to a dislocation on his right hip, which had been subject to replacement surgery after a fall in Africa.

The hospital said in a statement that he had recovered satisfactorily overnight and was given the all-clear midmorning.

Juan Carlos came in for heavy criticism earlier this month for going on the unannounced hunting trip to Botswana at the same time as Spain is suffering a severe economic recession, soaring unemployment and fears that it could be the next European nation to need an international bailout.

The king later made an unprecedented public apology for his actions.

The palace said the king made the Botswana trip as a guest of unnamed hosts -- so no taxpayer money was spent.

The royal family has been in the news a lot recently -- and not for the best reasons.

The king's son-in-law Inaki Urdangarin is a suspect in a corruption case, accused of using his position to embezzle several million euros in public contracts through a not-for-profit foundation. Then, over Easter, the king's 13-year-old grandson shot himself in the foot with a shotgun, even though in Spain a person must be 14 to legally handle a gun.